 | |||||||
.jpg) China Southern AirlinesAirbus A350-900 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1 July 1988; 37 years ago (1988-07-01) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 1 February 1991; 34 years ago (1991-02-01) (asChina Southern Airlines)[2] | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Secondary hubs | |||||||
| Focus cities | |||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Sky Pearl Club | ||||||
| Alliance | SkyTeam(2007–2018) | ||||||
| Subsidiaries |
| ||||||
| Fleet size | 677 | ||||||
| Destinations | 235[3] | ||||||
| Parent company | China Southern Air Holding | ||||||
| Traded as | |||||||
| Headquarters | Guangzhou,Guangdong | ||||||
| Key people | Han Wen Sheng (vice chairman &president) Ma Xu Lun (chairman) | ||||||
| Revenue |  CN¥127.806 billion(2017)[4] | ||||||
| Operating income | CN¥8.798 billion (2017)[4] | ||||||
| Net income | CN¥9.156 billion (2017)[4] | ||||||
| Total assets | CN¥149.14 billion (2017)[4] | ||||||
| Total equity | CN¥62.543 billion (2017)[4] | ||||||
| Employees | 100,000 (2015–2016)[5] | ||||||
| Website |
| ||||||
| China Southern Airlines | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 中国南方航空 | ||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中國南方航空 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| China Southern Airlines Company Limited | |||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 中国南方航空股份公司 | ||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中國南方航空股份公司 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | China Southern Airlines, Company Limited by Shares | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Second alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 南方航空 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Southern Airlines | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Third alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 南航 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
China Southern Airlines (branded asChina Southern) is a major airline in China, headquartered inGuangzhou,Guangdong. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along withAir China andChina Eastern Airlines.
Established on 1 July 1988 following the restructuring ofCAAC that acquired and merged several domestic airlines, the airline became theworld's sixth-largest airline measured by passengers carried and Asia'slargest airline in fleet size,revenue, and passengers carried. In 2024, it ranked as the world's ninth-largest airline by brand market value.[6]
With its main hubs atGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport andBeijing Daxing International Airport, the airline operates more than 2,000 flights to more than 200 destinations daily and was a member ofSkyTeam until 1 January 2019. The airline started a frequent flyer program partnership withAmerican Airlines in March 2019. The logo of the airline consists of akapok flower (which is also the city flower of Guangzhou) on a blue tail fin.[7] The company slogan isFly towards your dreams. The airline also operatescargo flights branded under the nameChina Southern Cargo.
The parent company of China Southern Airlines Company Limited is China Southern Air Holding Company, a state-owned enterprise that is supervised by theState-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.
China Southern Airlines was established on July 1, 1988, as part of the Chinese government's initiative to decentralize theCivil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and liberalize the Chinese aviation market.[8] This restructuring aimed to transform CAAC's regional divisions into independent commercial entities. China Southern emerged from the former Guangzhou Regional Administration of CAAC, marking its inception as a separate airline. However, the airline's first commercial operations under its own name and livery didn't launch until February 1991.[9]
The airline completed its decentralization from CAAC when it gained independence on 10 October 1993.[10] During the airline's early years, the carrier was the dominant domestic carrier. Together with the two major airlines of China – Air China and China Eastern – the airline handled half of the passenger traffic carried by all Chinese carriers. Owing to Air China's status as the country'sflag carrier, the airline is entitled to extensive international service rights, with China Eastern and China Southern's international networks confined to mainly East Asia and within Asia, respectively. Like other Chinese carriers, China Southern was subjected to CAAC's exclusive right to grant route-specific operating licenses and domestic prices.[11]
To raise its operating standards and distance itself from mostly unprofitable second and third-tier domestic airlines, the carrier signed agreements with several foreign carriers regarding staff training andaircraft maintenance, with the ultimate aim of being listed on theNew York Stock Exchange, possibly as soon as early 1995.[12]
Starting in the mid-1990s, China Southern sought to expand its international reach beyond Asia. In December 1995, the Chinese and United States governments signed an aviation agreement that would allow the commencement of non-stop air services between the two countries.[13] After having been granted the right to establish services toAmsterdam in early 1996, the airline started Guangzhou–Beijing–Amsterdam, its firstlong-haul route, in November 1996. The following year, the carrier commenced non-stop trans-Pacific services toLos Angeles, as well as services toBrisbane.[14]
The start of European and American services coincided with the arrival of the long-range Boeing 777s, the first of which was delivered in late December 1995, as well as a general expansion and upgrade of the carrier's fleet and the associated facilities. Due to engine certification and labor relations issues, the delivery of the first Boeing 777 was more than a month behind schedule. As a result, the carrier considered, but ultimately decided against, leasing theBoeing 747-400, which would have been used to cover anticipated delays as well as to launch trans-Pacific services to the United States.[15][16][17][18] Nevertheless, the airline planned to double its fleet of 67 aircraft. In April 1996, the Chinese government placed an order, on China Southern's behalf, for 10 Airbus A320s; the delivery of the first aircraft, and China Southern's first Airbus, was made the following year.[19][20]Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company, which was jointly established withLockheed Aircraft Services International andHutchinson Whampoa, was carrying out expansion of its aircraft maintenance facilities in anticipation of the increase.[21]
In July 1997, China Southern Airlines went public, listing on both the Hong Kong and New York Stock Exchanges. The airline raised $600–$700 million, which was mainly used to expand its fleet, pay off debt, and invest in other key areas.[22] In 2003, China Southern Airlines listed domestically on theShanghai Stock Exchange.[23] By 1997, the airline, along with its joint-venture airlinesXiamen Airlines, Shantou Airlines and Guangxi Airlines, was carrying some 15 million passengers per year using about 90 aircraft, operating about 270 routes among 68 destinations and almost 2,450 flights per week. The airline group's revenue totaled some US$1.4 billion with a net income of $90 million.[24][25]
The end of the 1990s was a period of consolidation for the Chinese airline industry. Initially, China Southern looked to acquire several smaller non-profitable domestic carriers as it sought to highlight its expansion plans intoaise funds; among the deals was the purchase of 60% shares of Guizhou Airlines.[26][27] Due to the weakening economy amidst the1997 Asian financial crisis and intense competition among the some 30 Chinese carriers, in 1998,CAAC considered a comprehensive restructuring of the industry that would see the consolidation of the airlines into three or five carrier groups.[28][29] At one stage, it was reported that CAAC was contemplating a forced merger of Air China and China Southern. Given the latter's dual listing in Hong Kong and New York, it was thought that such a merger would have eased Air China's path towardits own share offering. China Southern confirmed that such talks between them were occurring, although they ultimately proved fruitless. Had the merger proceeded, their combined fleets would have numbered some 250 aircraft, which would have made the resultant airline the largest in Asia.[30][31][32]
Although there was considerable resistance to CAAC's call to rationalise the industry, in July 2000, the administrative body announced that the 10 airlines under its direct management will be merged into three airline groups, revolving around Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern itself.[28] Within a month, China Southern had started absorbingZhengzhou-basedZhongyuan Airlines, which at the time operated five Boeing 737s and twoXian Y-7 turboprops.[33] The carrier would later merge withShenyang-basedChina Northern Airlines andUrumqi-basedXinjiang Airlines to form China Southern Air Holding Co., a process that took more than two years and would culminate in China Southern's acquisition of their US$2 billion's worth of assets (as well as $1.8 billion of debt) in November 2004. Consequently, China Southern's fleet expanded from some 140 aircraft to over 210. The takeovers meant that the carrier became the main airline in Shenyang and Ürümqi, with passenger numbersjumping from 28.2 million in 2004 to 44.1 million in 2005.[34] As a result, China Southern Airlines became one of the "Big Three" carriers in the country. Since then, it has successively taken over shareholding stocks and joined the equity in numerous Chinese carriers. The airline is the major shareholder ofXiamen Airlines (55%) andChongqing Airlines (60%); it also invests inSichuan Airlines (39%).[35]
Amidst the major consolidation of the airline industry, China Southern in April 2000 started dedicated cargo services fromShenzhen using a Boeing 747-200F (which was quickly upgraded to the Boeing 747-400F)wet-leased fromAtlas Air. To capitalize on the economic growth of thePearl River Delta region (which includes Hong Kong), the carrier constructed a dedicated cargo center in Shenzhen.[36] Successful operations prompted an order for two Boeing 747-400Fs the following year.[37] The airline by now had commenced operations toSydney andMelbourne.[38]
In September 2003, China Southern signed a purchase agreement for fourAirbus A330-200s to be delivered in 2005. This was part of the order placed in April by the China Aviation Supplies Imp. & Exp. Group covering 30 aircraft.[39] China Southern became the first mainland Chinese A330 operator with the delivery of the first example in February 2005.[40] China Southern followed up in September 2005 with a further order for eight A330-300s and two A330-200s.[41]
The month of January 2005 proved to be significant forcivil aviation in China in general and China Southern in particular. In preparation for the2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China Southern, and the Chinese government placed several landmark widebody-aircraft orders fromAirbus andBoeing. More specifically, on 28 January 2005, the carrier became the first (and so far the only) Chinese carrier to commit to theAirbus A380 double-deck aircraft, when it signed a general-terms agreement for five examples worth US$1.4 billion at catalog prices.[42][43] On the same day, China Southern, along with five other domestic carriers, placed a bulk order for 60 Boeing 7E7s (later renamed theBoeing 787 Dreamliner). The aircraft was worth $7.2 billion at list prices, and the first example was expected to be delivered in time for the Olympics;[44] however, the first aircraft did not arrive until June 2013.[45]
Earlier during the month, the CAAC had approved the temporary operations of charter flights between mainland China andTaiwan. On the same day as the widebody orders, a China Southern Airlines Boeing 777–200 took off from Guangzhou and landed inTaipei the following day, becoming the first mainland Chinese aircraft to land in theRepublic of China since 1949, when theKuomintang were involved inChinese Civil War with theChinese Communist Party. The flight carried 242 passengers home after theLunar New Year. Previously, passengers travelling between the mainland and Taiwan had to transit through a third port such as Hong Kong orMacau.[46][47] Within three years, in July 2008, a China Southern Airlines Airbus A330 carrying 230 tourists[48] again landed inTaipei.[49] The governments of China and Taiwan had both agreed to allow direct flights across theTaiwan Strait in June, ending six decades of limited air travel between the two sides. Following the flight, China Southern Airlines Chairman and pilot of the flight, Liu Shaoyong, said, "From today onward, regular commercial flights will replace the rumbling warplanes over the skies of the Taiwan Strait, and relations between the two sides will become better and better."[48][49]
Following two years of negotiations which had started in August 2004, in late June 2006, China Southern signed an agreement withSkyTeam, one of the three globalairline alliances, formally pledging itself to the improvement of standards with the aim of its eventual joining. According to the agreement, the airline committed to the upgrade of handling services, facilities, and training of at least 75% of its staff to SkyTeam's standards.[50][51] On 15 November 2007, China Southern officially joined SkyTeam, becoming the eleventh carrier to join the grouping and the first mainland Chinese carrier to join an airline alliance. The welcoming ceremony was attended by high-ranking Chinese government and SkyTeam corporate officials and was held at theGreat Hall of the People.[52] The carrier's integration with the alliance continued with its entry intoSkyTeam Cargo in November 2010,[53] and its joint-venture carrier Xiamen Airlines' formal joining in November 2012. With China Eastern's ascension in June 2011, SkyTeam furthered its leading presence on the mainland Chinese market; the remaining Big Three carrier, Air China, is a member ofStar Alliance.[54][55]
It followed up with another Airbus order on 7 July 2006, when it confirmed a deal covering the purchase of 50 more A320 narrow bodies for delivery in 2009.[56] The order included 13 A319-100s, 20 A320-200s and 17 A321-200s, reportedly worth $3.3 billion at list prices.[57] In December 2005, China Southern Airlines along with CASGC, announced an order with Boeing for 9Boeing 737-700s and 11Boeing 737-800s.
In June 2006, China Southern Airlines confirmed another order of three Boeing 737-700s and seven Boeing 737-800s. The deliveries would continue through 2010.[58] On 18 October 2006, China Southern Airlines placed an order for sixBoeing 777 freighters, striding forward a brand new step in its cargo development.[59] The aircraft would be delivered from November 2008 to July 2010.
On 20 August 2007, China Southern Airlines announced its intention for an order of 25 Boeing 737-700s and 30 Boeing 737-800s, which will be delivered from May 2011 to October 2013.[60] It was a mere two months before, on 23 October 2007, China Southern Airlines announced that it had placed an order for 10 additional Airbus A330-200s. The order has a listed price of US$1.677 billion and the aircraft will be delivered from March 2010 to August 2012.[61]
During 2009, China Southern Airlines remodeled its strategy from a point-to-point hub to a full hub and spoke carrier, which has been proven successful. Along with that, the airline has rapidly expanded its international market share, particularly inAustralia, where passenger numbers in 2011 have been 97% greater than in 2010.[62]
On 21 January 2010, China Southern Airlines announced an order for an additional 20 A320-200s, scheduled for delivery in 2011, due to the falling fuel costs and surging passenger demand.[63] In March 2010, the Chinese carrier issued new shares inHong Kong andShanghai 2010 to raise 10.75 billion yuan ($1.57 billion) in a bid to pay off outstanding loans.[64] In December, CNY810 million ($121.5 million) was injected by China Southern Airlines into its subsidiaryXiamen Airlines to fund its fleet expansion.[65] In November 2010, China Southern Airlines signed an agreement with Airbus for the purchase of 6 A330s and 30 A320–200s.[66]
On 11 January 2011, China Southern Airlines announced a lease for 10Embraer E190 aircraft, set to be delivered from the second half of 2011. On 27 January 2011, China Southern Airlines was awarded a four-star ranking bySkytrax. It is the largest airline to hold this title.[67] On 17 October 2011, China Southern Airlines made itsfirst flight with theAirbus A380. Initially, the airline deployed the A380s on domestic routes, flying between Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. At the same time, the carrier conducted negotiations to commence A380 international services. Due to the government-imposed limitation that confined an international route to a single airline, China Southern in August 2012 announced its intention to initiate Beijing-Paris services in cooperation with Air China, pending government approval. Two months later, the A380 was deployed on Guangzhou-Los Angeles services.[68] Early A380 operations were unprofitable and the aircraft, underutilised; services to Sydney were thus launched in October 2013.[69] By May 2013, talks with Air China on Beijing-Paris services had ceased.[70]
While China Southern, like the other two of the big three Chinese carriers,Air China andChina Eastern Airlines,[71] had been expanding rapidly since 2000, much of their activities had been focused on the domestic market.[72] With the increase in outflow of Chinese tourists, who in 2012, for example, spent $102 billion internationally,[73] as well as the rapid construction and introduction ofhigh-speed rail in China, the carrier shifted its outlook overseas to sustain growth.[72] Owing to the location of its hub at Guangzhou, which hinders the airline from effectively serving the North American market, the airline concentrated its international expansion onAustralasia. In June 2012, with the inauguration of services fromGuangzhou toLondon-Heathrow, the airline started marketing its services connecting Europe and Australia as the "Canton Route",[74][75] an alternative to theKangaroo Route flown by carriers such as Qantas. It hoped to attract the predominantly business traffic that travel between Europe and Australia, and channel such sixth-freedom traffic as well as traffic from mainland China through its Guangzhou hub (thereby transforming the carrier's network from one that emphasises point-to-point to a hub-and-spoke system).[76][77] The carrier by now had added cities such asAuckland,Istanbul,Perth, andVancouver to its route map.[74][78][79]
During May–June 2012, China Southern Airlines has recruited Dutch flight attendants to serve the First and Business class sections for flights from Guangzhou to Amsterdam.[80]
On 7 June 2013, China Southern operated its firstBoeing 787 on a route fromGuangzhou toBeijing Capital, the first Chinese airline to introduce the 787-8.[81] The 787s were going to be part of China Southern's fleet for only a dozen years: in November 2024, the airline announced its intention to sell all 10 aircraft of the type by 2026 due tochallenges in recovering long-haul services following theCOVID-19 pandemic.[82]
In early 2015, it was announced that the airline would lease 24 Airbus A320neo aircraft fromAerCap for delivery between 2016 and 2019.[83]
On 15 November 2018, the airline announced that it would leave SkyTeam by 1 January 2019 and will strengthen its partnership withAmerican Airlines and others.[84] The announcement lead to speculation that it will joinOneworld alongside Hong Kong carrierCathay Pacific. Various media outlets reported that while analysts predict that its Oneworld move could threaten Cathay Pacific's position in the alliance, other analysts state that China Southern joining Oneworld would benefit Cathay more due to different target markets.[85]
In March 2019, the airline announced a frequent flyer partnership withAmerican Airlines.[86] Currently, the airline plans for more flexible tie-ups with other carriers, mostly with Oneworld members such as Qatar Airways while not joining the alliance 'for a few years' in order to fulfill its dream as 'world's largest airline'.[87] On 26 September 2019, China Southern operates atBeijing Daxing International Airport alongside its former and current partners, and all of its flights to and from Beijing are transferred to Daxing on 25 October 2020.
China Southern operated its last commercialAirbus A380 flight on 5 November 2022, remaining the only Chinese airline ever to operate the A380. The aircraft were retired due to market challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two being flown to storage atMojave Air and Space Port in December 2022. One former China Southern A380 was acquired byGlobal Airlines in 2024 with plans to launch flights between the United Kingdom and the United States using this aircraft in 2025.[88]
In early January 2025, China Southern Airlines suspend its daily service betweenBeijing Daxing andMoscow Sheremetyevo from 20 January to 30 March 2025. No reason was given by the airline. However, experts commented it may be due to the on-goingconflict betweenRussia andUkraine.[89]
The key trends for the China Southern Airlines Group are (as of the financial year ending December 31):[90]
| Revenue (RMB b) | Net profit (RMB b) | Number of employees | Number of passengers (m) | Passenger load factor (%) | Fleet size | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 99.5 | 3.7 | 73,668 | 86.4 | 79.9 | 491 | [91] |
| 2013 | 98.5 | 2.7 | 80,175 | 91.7 | 79.4 | 561 | [92] |
| 2014 | 108 | 2.3 | 82,132 | 100 | 79.4 | 612 | [93] |
| 2015 | 111 | 4.8 | 82,132 | 109 | 80.5 | 667 | [94] |
| 2016 | 114 | 5.8 | 93,132 | 114 | 80.5 | 702 | [95] |
| 2017 | 127 | 6.8 | 100,831 | 126 | 82.2 | 754 | [96] |
| 2018 | 143 | 3.3 | 100,831 | 139 | 82.4 | 840 | [97] |
| 2019 | 154 | 3.0 | 103,876 | 151 | 82.8 | 862 | [98] |
| 2020 | 92.5 | −11.8 | 100,431 | 96.8 | 71.4 | 867 | [99] |
| 2021 | 101 | −11.0 | 98,098 | 98.5 | 71.2 | 878 | [100] |
| 2022 | 87 | −33.7 | 97,899 | 62.6 | 66.3 | 894 | [101] |
| 2023 | 160 | −2.9 | 99,468 | 142 | 78.9 | 908 | [102] |
| 2024 | 174 | 0.025 | 165 | 84.4 | [103] |
| [104] | Owner | Number of shares held | Percentage of shares held |
| 1 | China Southern Airlines Group Co., Ltd. | 9404468936 | 51.9 |
| 2 | Nanlong Holdings Limited | 2612124036 | 14.41 |
| 3 | Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (Agent) | 1750815837 | 9.66 |
| 4 | Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited | 654597606 | 3.61 |
| 5 | China Securities Finance Corporation Limited | 320484148 | 1.77 |
| 6 | American Airlines | 270606272 | 1.49 |
| 7 | China Aviation Oil Holding Company Limited | 261685354 | 1.44 |
| 8 | Spring Airlines Co., Ltd. | 140043961 | 0.77 |
| 9 | China State-Owned Enterprise Structural Adjustment Fund Co., Ltd. | 72077475 | 0.4 |
| 10 | GF Ruiyi Leading Mixed Securities Investment Fund | 70644579 | 0.39 |
American Airlines invested $200 million in China Southern Airlines in March 2017, laying a strong foundation for a long-term relationship between two of the world's largest airlines. After the investment, American Airlines holds a 2.7% equity stake in China Southern Airlines.[105] American Airlines and China Southern are two of the world's largest airlines with complementary networks, offering customers unparalleled destinations in both the business and leisure traveler markets. The two airlines have signedcodeshare and interline agreements to provide travelers with flights to more destinations in China, North and South America. The codeshare route partnership includes the ability to earn and redeem AAdvantage miles, check baggage through, and book tickets.[106]
.jpg)
China Southern is headquartered in the China Southern Air Building at 68 Qixin Road (齐心路) inBaiyun District,Guangzhou,Guangdong Province.[107]
It was previously at 278 Jichang (Airport) Road (机场路) in Baiyun District.[108][109][110]
China Southern had plans to open a new headquarters facility on a 988-acre (400 ha) site on the outskirts of Guangzhou, about 4 miles (6.4 km) fromGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport.Woods Bagot won a competition for the architect firm which would design the facility. The proposed site consists of two parcels of land on opposite sides of a highway leading to Baiyun Airport; both sites are shaped like wings. The site will have a bridge and light rail system that operates above the highway to connect the two parcels, which will each have distinct functions. For instance, the east parcel will house internal functions such as the data center facilities, staff dormitories, and the training center. The airline wants it to be aesthetically pleasing from the air since it sits below a runway approach. The site will have a lot of outdoor space, which Woods Bagot designed along with Hargreaves Associates and Sherwood Design Engineers. Jean Weng, a Woods BagotBeijing-based principal, said "Most Chinese cities are very dense and very urban, but China Southern wants to create a human-scale campus, that's close to nature."[111] The new headquarters was opened in August 2016.[citation needed]
China Southern Cargo is the cargo subsidiary of China Southern Airlines. The cargo airline provides services between mainland China and worldwide cities includingAmsterdam,Vienna,Frankfurt,Los Angeles,Chicago,[112]Glasgow,[113] andLondon Stansted[114] served from its main hubs ofGuangzhou Baiyun andShanghai Pudong.
The cargo subsidiary joined theSkyTeam Cargo alliance in November 2010 and withdrew on 1 January 2019 following the airline's withdrawal fromSkyTeam.[115]
China Southern Airlines General Aviation (CSAGA) is thehelicopter division of China Southern Airlines. Established in 1980 as Zhuhai Helicopter Company, the division was rebranded to China Southern Airlines General Aviation in 2003.[116] The company currently operates out of 13 bases.[117] Currently, it operates passenger, charter, rescue, aerial photography and other inspection flights.[116]
China Southern Airlines serves193 destinations in 35 countries worldwide.[118] It maintains a strong presence in the domestic market with its main hubs atBeijing Daxing International Airport andGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport with secondary hubs atShanghai Pudong International Airport,Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport,Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport, andWuhan Tianhe International Airport, along with otherfocus cities inChangchun,Changsha,Dalian,Shenyang,Shenzhen, andZhengzhou. The airline plans to continue to develop Chongqing and Ürümqi as hubs as well as to exploit the domestic market potential.[119]
China Southern offers 485 flights a day from itsGuangzhou hub and 221 from itsBeijing hub.[62] The airline provides services to 65 international destinations. Most of the international flights linkGuangzhou with world cities. There are also plenty of international flights operated through Beijing, Shanghai, Ürümqi (notably to Central Asia and Middle-East) and Dalian (to Japan, South Korea, and Russia). China Southern Airlines has developed an extensive network in Southeast Asia and also has become the Chinese airline with the largest presence in Australia.[120][non-primary source needed] China Southern is also considering expanding into the South American markets, as well as further expansion into the African market.[75][non-primary source needed]
On 12 December 2024, it was reported that China Southern has resumed the direct routes betweenGuangzhou andAdelaide,South Australia. The route was initially launched in 2016, but ceased in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[121]
 | This sectionrelies excessively onreferences toprimary sources. Please improve this section by addingsecondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "China Southern Airlines" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
On 28 August 2004, China Southern Airlines signed aMemorandum of Understanding with theairline allianceSkyTeam. On 15 November 2007, the airline was officially welcomed as the 11th member of SkyTeam, becoming the firstmainland Chinese airline to join any global airline alliance,[122] expanding the alliance's presence onmainland China.
On 24 December 2018, China Southern Airlines released an official statement saying that it would discontinue its SkyTeam membership on 1 January 2019 and will also terminate its partnership withChina Eastern Airlines andDelta Air Lines.[123][non-primary source needed]
China Southern Airlinescodeshares with the following airlines:[124][125]
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_at_CGO_02.jpg)
As of September 2025[update], China Southern Airlines operates the following aircraft:[137][138]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers[139] | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | W | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319neo | 9 | — | 4 | 24 | 116 | 144[140] | Launch customer.[141] |
| Airbus A320-200 | 93 | — | 8 | 24 | 120 | 152[142] | |
| 4 | 18 | 138 | 160[143] | ||||
| 24 | 166[144] | ||||||
| Airbus A320neo | 65 | 8 | 4 | 24 | 138 | 166 | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 88 | — | 12 | 24 | 143 | 179 | |
| 4 | 18 | 167 | 189 | ||||
| 24 | 195 | ||||||
| Airbus A321neo | 90 | 44 | 4 | 24 | 167 | 195 | |
| 12 | 164 | 200 | |||||
| Airbus A330-300 | 25 | — | 30 | — | 253 | 283 | |
| 28 | 258 | 286 | |||||
| Airbus A350-900 | 20 | — | 28 | 24 | 262 | 314[145] | |
| — | 307 | 335[146] | |||||
| Boeing 737-700 | 9 | — | 4 | 18 | 106 | 128[147] | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 153 | — | 8 | 24 | 132 | 164[148] | |
| 4 | 150 | 178[149] | |||||
| 18 | 147 | 169[150] | |||||
| 150 | 172[151] | ||||||
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 39 | 27 | 4 | 24 | 150 | 178[152] | |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 15 | — | 28 | 28 | 305 | 361[153] | |
| Boeing 787-8 | 10 | — | 18 | — | 248 | 266[154] | To be retired.[155] |
| Boeing 787-9 | 21 | — | 28 | 28 | 220 | 276[156] | 3 orders were transferred toXiamenAir.[157] |
| — | 269 | 297[158] | |||||
| Comac C909 | 35 | — | — | — | 90 | 90[159] | |
| Comac C919-100STD | 6 | 94 | 8 | — | 156 | 164 | First aircraft delivered in August 2024.[160] |
| China Southern Cargo fleet | |||||||
| Boeing 777F | 19 | — | Cargo | ||||
| Total | 697 | 173 | |||||
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(December 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
China Southern Airlines previously operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | Number | Introduced | Retired | Notes/refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300-600R | 6 | 2004 | 2011 | |
| Airbus A300-600RF | 1 | 2004 | 2011 | |
| Airbus A319-100 | 9 | 2003 | 2024 | [161] |
| Airbus A330-200 | 16 | 2005 | 2025 | |
| Airbus A380-800 | 5 | 2011 | 2022 | Last scheduled flights on 6 November 2022. Some of them transferred toGlobal Airlines.[citation needed] |
| ATR 72-500 | 5 | 2004 | 2011 | |
| Boeing 737-200 | 10 | 1988 | 2006 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 36 | 1991 | 2015 | Three aircraft are stored. After retirement, most aircraft were converted into freighters.[162] |
| Boeing 737-300QC | 2 | 2003 | 2005 | After retirement, most aircraft were converted into freighters. Disposed toChina Postal Airlines. |
| Boeing 737-500 | 12 | 1991 | 2009 | Disposed toAerolíneas Argentinas. |
| Boeing 747-400F | 2 | 2002 | 2022 | Disposed toSF Airlines.[163] |
| Boeing 757-200 | 32 | 1987 | 2018 | After retirement, most aircraft were converted into freighters. |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 6 | 1992 | 1998 | |
| Boeing 777-200 | 10 | 1995 | 2018 | |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 6 | 1997 | 2014 | Three aircraft are stored. |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | 6 | 2004 | 2013 | |
| Embraer E190 | 20 | 2011 | 2021[164] | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 23 | 2003 | 2008 | The last one left in 2010.[165] |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | 13 | 2004 | 2011 | Disposed toDelta Air Lines. |
| Saab 340 | 4 | 1992 | 1997 | Disposed toShandong Airlines.[citation needed] |
| Short 360 | 3 | Unknown | 1994 | One aircraft scrapped in 2002. Remainder disposed toServicios Aéreos Profesionales.[166] |
| Xian Y-7 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
China Southern was the only mainland Chinese airline to operate the Airbus A380. The airline initially operated these aircraft on Beijing–Hong Kong and Beijing–Guangzhou routes. However, these services struggled to be profitable. Due to the demand limitation of the airline's home base atGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport, few routes from Guangzhou have the demand to support an A380.[citation needed] In efforts to make its A380s viable, China Southern started operating A380 on its Guangzhou–Los Angeles route and on the Guangzhou–Sydney route.[when?] Additionally, China Southern flew A380s toSydney andMelbourne every summer during its peak travel period. As of 20 June 2015, China Southern began operating the Airbus A380 from Beijing toAmsterdam. The A380 also operated four domestic flights each day between Beijing and Guangzhou. The airline's A380s were retired by November 2022.[citation needed]
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
 | This section has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
China Southern Airlines offers First Class (formerly), Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.
China Southern Airlines offered an "Experience Luxurious Skybed" on Boeing 787s. It was equipped with personal privacy, in-built massage, a 17-inch personal TV and fully reclining seat. It also had First Class on Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-300ERs, which featured a seat pitch of 84 inches (210 cm) and converted into a fully flat bed with a personal TV.[167][168]
China Southern Airlines offered Premium First Class on select flights, such as on the Beijing-Guangzhou route. This cabin offered more amenities and was more spacious than Regular First Class, such as a variety of lighting options and a private storage cabinet with a password lock.[169][non-primary source needed]
Business class also offers a fully flat bed, and an adjustable privacy divider. It includes a USB port and a reading light. It also has a 15-inch TV.[170][needs update][non-primary source needed]
Economy class features a seat and a 9-inch personal TV. It also has a multi-adjustable headrest.[171][non-primary source needed]
China Southern also offersPremium Economy class, which is more spacious than economy class. In most aircraft, the seats are 35–37 inches (89–94 cm), compared to 31 inches (79 cm) in Economy.[172] The Boeing 777-300ERs, however, are equipped with fixed-shell premium economy seats similar to those seen on Air France's Boeing 777s.[173]
| This sectionrelies excessively onreferences toprimary sources. Please improve this section by addingsecondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "China Southern Airlines" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
China Southern Airlines'sfrequent-flyer program is called Sky Pearl Club (simplified Chinese:明珠俱乐部;traditional Chinese:明珠俱樂部;pinyin:Míngzhū Jùlèbù;Jyutping:ming4 zyu1 keoi1 lok6 bou6). The Sky Pearl Club allows its members to earn FFP mileage not only by flying China Southern domestic segments, but also by flying routes of other codeshare member airlines. Additionally, Sky Pearl Club members can earn and use mileage on partneredSichuan Airlines,China Eastern Airlines, andChina Airlines flights. Membership of Sky Pearl Club is divided into four tiers: Sky Pearl Gold Card, Sky Pearl Silver Card, Sky Pearl Member Card and Little Pearl On The Palm Card, the first three tier are available for all adult members, but Little Pearl On The Palm Card is only available for members aged 2–11.[174][non-primary source needed]
The USDA ordered China Southern Airlines to pay $11,600 in fines for violations of theAnimal Welfare Act (AWA) during the airline's transport of animals without proper licences to the United States. Although the USDA cited Air Transport International for failure to provide food and water to the imported animals, China Southern Airlines was previously also ordered to pay $14,438 for AWA violations during one transport that left more than a dozen monkeys dead after they went without food and water for an extended period of time. Following these most recent violations, where the delivered animals were left neglected after arrival in the US, China Southern announced that it would no longer transport laboratory animals to the US.PETA had protested against the airline for these shipments.[178][179]
In November 2023, the airline inadvertently priced its tickets as low as 10 yuan (around $1.37) on its mobile app and travel websites likeTrip.com, due to a technical glitch.[180] The airline later confirmed onWeibo that the tickets sold during the two-hour window would be honored.[181]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg)
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Corporate Information [...] Address: China Southern Air Building, 68 Qixin Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PRC [...] Place of Business: China Southern Air Building, 68 Qixin Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PRC
广东省广州市白云区机场路278号中国南方航空股份有限公司董事会秘书办公室
FormerSkyTeam member | |
| Services | |
| Acquisitions and mergers | |
| Subsidiaries |
|
| People | |
| Incidents and accidents | |
